Worcester



(Nd Model.)

w. A. RICHARDSON. CLOTH FOLDING MACHINE- No. 519,073. Patented May 1, 1894.

"15 NATIONAL LITHOQRAFNING COMPANY.

wAamNaYuN. a. c.

NITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIE A. RICHARDSON, OFWVORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ALBERT CURTIS AND EDWIN T.

MARBLE, OF SAME PL oE.

CLOTH-FOLDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 519,073, dated May 1, 1894. Application filed O tob r 20, 1892. S rial No. 449.492- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIE A. RICHARD- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Cloth- Folding Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the to same, and in which- Figure 1 is a top View of the operative mechanism, by which the table is actuated. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same, on line 2, 2, Fig. 1, and also showing the cloth table connected therewith. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3, 3, Fig. 1 and showing the mechanism by which the center of the table is lowered as the cloth is folded. Fig. 4 is a view upon alarger scale, of the retaining pawl by which the center of the table is held and showing the tripping lever by which the pawl 7 1s disengaged. Fig. 5 represents the opposite s de of the same, with the retaining pawl as disengaged by the tripping lever. Fig. 6 represents the spring actuated latching pin by which the tripping lever is held, with its supporting frame shown in sectional view.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the difierent figures. My invention relates to that class of foldmg machines, in which the cloth is folded in uniform lengths; and my invention relates particularly to the operating mechanism by which the center of the cloth table is lowered 5 with a positive motion during the operation of folding the cloth and is an improvement upon the cloth folding machine shown and described in Letters Patent No. 456,851, granted to me July 28, 1891.

In the following specification and accompanying drawings, I have described and shown only such portions of the machine as are concerned in my present invention and reference may be made to the above men- 5 tioned patent for the general description of the folding mechanism of a machine of this class, in which successive folds of cloth are carried by a folding bar between jaws, which are separated to receive the folding bar and closed to seize and hold the cloth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A, Fig. 2 denotes the table upon which the cloth is folded, consisting of two leaves resting at the center upon a bar A extending transversely across the machine and capable of a vertical movement in ways A A which are supported by the frame-work A of the machine. The outer edges of the leaves of the table A are carried by the transverse bars A A and are provided upon their upper surfaces with the cloth holding jaws A A which are pressed against the fixed jaws A, A supported upon the frame-work A J ournaled in the frame-work of the machine are rocking shafts A and A having radial arms A attached thereto which are connected by the links A with the transverse bars A Springs A A are placed upon the rock-- ing shafts A A each of said springs being connected at one end with collars A attached to the rocking shafts A A and the opposite ends of said springs are connected with collars A which are united, or coupled together by a connecting red A, which rod holds the collars A from turning and causes the torsional tension of thesprings to be applied to the rocking shafts A and A to raise the arms A and lift the ends of the table A and the jaws A against the fixed jaws A and seize the folds of the cloth.

J ournaled in the frame-work of themachine is a shaft B carrying the cams B, B which act alternately upon swinging levers B connected by rods 13 with the arms B of bell cranklevers pivoted upon the rock-shafts 85 A and A The other arms B of the bell crank levers carry pawls B", which in their downward motion engage the ratchet teeth of the sectors B attached to the rock-shafts A and A The motion of the pawls is reversed by the action of a spring 13 applied to the operating mechanism, and conveniently attached t0 the two swinging levers B and the pawls, at the upper end of their movement are carried upon guard-plates B attached 5 to the frame-work of the machine and extending concentrically over a portion of the sectors, for the purpose of disengaging the pawls and allowing the tension of the springs A to rock the shafts A, A and bring the cloth holding jaws A and A together.

Journaled in the frame-work, similarly to the shafts A and A is a rock-shaft G, to which are attached radial arms 0, 0, connected by links 0 with the transverse barA', upon which the center of the table is supported. A spring (3 is operatively connected with a collar 0 attached to the shaft 0 and a collar 0 coupled by a connecting rod 0 with one of the collars A whereby the torslonal tension of the spring 0 is applied to the shaft 0 in the same manner as the tenslon of the springs A is applied to the rockshafts A and A to raise the bar A. Attached to the shaft 0 is a ratchet D and pivoted upon the shaft 0, is an arm D con nected by a rod D with a radial arm D at taohed to the rock-shaft A and carrying a pawl D arranged to engage a tooth D upon the ratchet D and rock the shaft 0 to lower the bar A. A frame D, attached to the frame-work of the machine, supports a retaining pawl D by which the ratchet D is held from being reversed by the tension of the spring 0 Pivoted upon the frame D is a tripping lever D carrying a pin D which extends behind the retaining pawls D The end of the tripping lever D extends across the path of a pin, or stud D carried by'the ratchet D. The intermittent angular motion of the ratchet D, as moved by the actuating pawl D will bring the stud D against the end of the tripping lever D carrying the pin 1) against the retaining pawl D and disengaging it from the teeth of the ratchet D, the position of the several parts being indicated in Fig. 5. The frame D holdsa spring actuated latch-pin, represented in Fig. 6, the end of which bears against the side of the trip ping lever D when the tripping lever is in its lowest position, as represented in Fig. 4:, but when the tripping lever has been raised by thestud D so as to clear the latch-pin D, the latch-pin will be forced forward beneath the tripping lever by the tension of the spring D thereby sustaining the tripping lever D and holdingthe retaining pawl D out of engagement with the ratchet teeth. The latch-pin D has its inner end next the tripping lever rounded so that when the tripping lever is forced downward over the rounded end of the latch-pin, it will again crowd the latch-pin back and compress the spring D The connecting rod D is adjustable in length,by any well known means, the method shown consisting in forming the rod in two parts having rightand left hand screw threads and being united by a right and left hand screw threaded nut D for the purpose of placing the pawl D at such distance from the tooth D that the angular movement of the bell crank, as actuated by the rocking shaft A will cause the pawl to be carried against the tooth D without moving the ratchet, so that as a fold of cloth is placed between the cloth holding jaws A and A, the space between the pawl D and the tooth D will be gradually reduced so as to cause the ratchet to be moved the space of atooth and held by the retaining pawl D In case the goods are of a bulky material causing the pile of folded cloth to be thicker in the center than at the ends, where it is compressed between the cloth holding jaws, I then lengthen the connecting rod D', so as to take up a portion of the space between theend of the pawl D and the tooth D and cause the center of the table to be lowered before the introduction of the folded cloth between the cloth holding jaws and the distance which the center of the table is lowered can be determined by the adjustment alforded by the connecting rod D. When the cloth has been removed and the center of the table again raised, lowering the ratchet D, the fixed pin, or stud D carried by the ratchet, will be brought in contact with the end of the tripping lever D causing it to be forced downward and over the rounded end of the latchpin D crowding the latch-pin back and retaining it by the tripping lever, thereby allowing the retaining pawl to again fall into engagement with the ratchet D.

In the operation of the machine as the folds of cloth are successively laid upon the cloth table A with their folded edges held between the cloth holding jaws, the ratchet D is intermittently raised by the actuating pawl D carried upon the free end of the arm D ,which is connected with the radial arm D upon the rock-shaft A, the ratchetD being held at each upward movement of a tooth or its multiple, by the retaining pawl D thereby causing the center of the table to be lowered with an intermittent motion determined by the accumulation of the folds of cloth between the cloth holding jaws. As the ratchet D is raised the stud D is brought into contact with the end of the pivoted tripping lever D carrying the pin D against the retaining pawl D and disengaging it from the ratchet D at the end of the operation and freeing the ratchet D, so the center of the table can be again raised after the cloth has been removed. The action of raising the center of the table lowers the ratchet D, bringing the stud D against the end of the tripping lever, depressing it, and releasing the retaining pawl D", so it will again engage the ratchet D. When the tripping lever has been raised to disengage the retaining pawl it is sustained by the spring actuated pin D and as the tripping lever is depressed the pin D is pushed back and held by the tripping lever.

From the collar A held upon the rockshaft A extends an arm E connected with a foot treadle Ein the usual manner, by which 7 the collar can be rocked upon its shaft. The

two collars A A are coupled by the connecting rod A as already described, and thev collar A upon the rock-shaft A is coupled by a connecting rod C with a similar collar held upon the rock-shaft C. The spiral spring 0 is connected at one end with the collar 0 and at the opposite end with a collar 0 which is attached tothe rock-shaft C, so the angular movement of the arm E, actuated by the foot treadle E will cause the collar C on the shaft 0 to be similarly rocked and its motion imparted, through the connecting spring 0 and collar 0 to the shaft 0, thereby raising the center of the table.

By the mechanism above described the op erator is able to reverse the motion of the shaft 0 and raise the center of the table, when the retaining pawl D has been disengaged from the ratchet D by the action of the tripping lever D as already described.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a cloth folding machine, the combination of a table upon which the cloth is folded, cloth holding jaws at the ends of said table, means by which said jaws are opened to receive the folds of cloth, a rock-shaft having radial arms upon which the center of said table is supported, a ratchet attached to said rock-shaft, actuating and retaining pawls engaging said ratchet, said actuating pawl being operatively connected with the jawopening mechanism, whereby said rock-shaft is rocked to lower the center of the table as successive folds of cloth are inserted between the cloth holding jaws, substantially as described.

2. In a cloth folding machine, the combination of a table upon which the cloth is folded, cloth holding jaws arranged at the ends of said table, means by which said jaws are opened to receive the folds of cloth, a rock shaft having radial arms operatively connected with the center of said table by which the center of the table is lowered by the rocking of said shaft, a ratchet attached to said rock-shaft, actuating and retaining pawls engaging said ratchet, said actuating pawl being operatively connected with the jaw openin g mechanism, means foradjusting the movement of said actuating pawl in order to vary the movement of the centerof the cloth table relatively to the opening of the cloth holding jaws, substantially as described.

3. In a cloth folding machine, the combination of a table upon which the cloth is folded, provided with cloth holding jaws at its ends, fixed jaws overlapping the ends of said table, actuating mechanism operatively connected with said table, whereby the ends of the table are reciprocated to open and close the jaws, a rock-shaft provided with arms upon which the center of said table is supported, a ratchet attached to said shaft, an actuating and aretaining pawl engaging said ratchet, said actuatin g pawl being operatively connected with the table actuating mechanism,whereby saidrock-shat t is moved in order to lower the center of the table in correspondence with the reciprocating movement of its ends, substantially as described.

4. In a cloth folding machine, the combination of a table A,supported at its center upon the radial arms, a rock-shaft C havingradial arms by which the center of the table 1s supported, a ratchet D attached to said shaft and provided with a tooth D a vibrating arm D, an actuating pawl D carried by said arm, rock-shaft A provided with a radial arm D, means for operating said rock-shaft and an adjustable rod D' connecting said arms D' and D whereby the position of the actuat ng pawl is varied with reference to the ratchet tooth D substantially as described.

. 5. In a cloth folding machine, the combination of a table having jaws A fixed jaws A rock-shaft 0 having arms by which the center of'the table is supported, ratchet D attached to said rock-shaft and provided with a tooth D to receive an actuating pawl, an actuating pawl D carried upon a vibrating arm D, rock-shaft A having arms upon which one end of said table is supported, a radial arm D attached to the rock-shaft A? and a connecting rod between said arms D and D whereby the pawl D is moved synchronously with the motion of the rock-shaft A causln g the center of the table to be lowered as the jaws A and A are separated by the folded cloth. substantially as described.

6. In a cloth folding machine, the combination of the table A, rock-shaft 0, arms 0, O, on which the center of the table is supported, ratchet D attached to 'said shaft, actuating and retaining pawls D and D pivoted tripping lever D provided with a pin D arranged to engage the retaining pawl, and a stud D carried by said ratchet, substantially as described.

7. In a cloth folding machine, the combination of a table A, rock-shaft 0 having arms 0', upon'which the center of the table is sup- .ported, a ratchet attached to said shaft, actuating and retaining pawls engaging said ratchet and studs D and D 4 carried by said ratchet, a pivoted tripping lever with its end extending into the path of said studs and provided with a pin engaging said retaining pawl, substantially as described.

8. In a cloth folding machine, the combination with a table upon which the cloth is folded, of a rock-shaft G, provided with radial arms by which the-center of the table is supported, a ratchet attached to said shaft, a retaining pawl engaging said ratchet, a stud D carried by said ratchet, a tripping lever placed in the path of said stud and carrying a pin engaging said retaining pawl, a sliding latch pin D and a spring D all combined and operating, substantially as described.

9. In a cloth folding machine, the combination with the table A, of the shafts A and A collars A on said shafts connected by shaft 0, whereby the motion of said shaft is the connecting rod A arrn E on one of said reversed and the center of the table raised, 10 collars A connected with a foot treadle E, substantially as described.

shaft 0, arms 0, G, supporting the center of the table, collar E on said shaft 0, rod E WILLIE RICHARDSON connecting said collar E with one of the col- Witnesses:

lars A spring E connecting said collar E RUFUS B. FOWLER,

with the collar E collar E attached to said EMMA KEsTER. 

